Acushnet finally has buyer for Cusson-Severance property

Thursday

Oct 10, 2013 at 12:01 AM

ACUSHNET — At long last, the town has a buyer for the Cusson-Severance property near River's End off Main Street where various proposals — including a new library — failed to materialize over the past decade.

PAUL GATELY

ACUSHNET — At long last, the town has a buyer for the Cusson-Severance property near River's End off Main Street where various proposals — including a new library — failed to materialize over the past decade.

Town Administrator Alan Coutinho's office had issued a formal request for proposals, and Michael Arguin of Russells Mills Road in South Dartmouth offered a purchase price of $100,000, making a $10,000 deposit. Arguin could not be reached for comment on his plans for the property.

The sale could pave the way for Russell Memorial Library trustees to eventually move the library from its Depression-era building at South Main Street to the former Marie S. Howard School. That's a separate library plan from the one that was once proposed at the Cusson-Severance property. The Howard School on Middle Road housed a now-closed community center.

Proceeds from the Cusson tract sale will go to the Russell Memorial donations account.

Library Trustee Chairman Kristin Leotti told selectmen Monday that her board still wants to move the library to the Howard building. Voters earlier this year rejected a request to match state funds for a library addition to the center.

"The sale of the Cusson property would allow us some money for the restoration of that facility," Leotti told selectmen.

Selectmen said Arguin's offer represents a reasonable deal for the town, at the very least returning the tract to the property tax rolls. They unanimously accepted his offer.

There have been more than a few proposals for the Cusson/Severance tract over the years but none evolved. One involved elderly housing units, but access and egress factors at a particularly busy section of Main Street near the New Bedford line ultimately killed that idea.

The deteriorating structure on the property has been considered historic by some in Acushnet because it was once the home of a whaling captain. But others have publicly argued that the structure should be razed to make site development more viable.

Voters never supported requests for matching funds to build a new library there.